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Friday, 1 February 2013

Fear the Wraith... Eldar/Dark eldar vs Blood angels 1500

The first outing for WraithStar v2 and it’s against Blood angels, 1500
points, crusade and with vanguard strike deployment. With the slight
improvements over the last list I hope I can get a win against the Imperium as
the game against the guard didn’t go so well. Read on and find out...

The Armies

So this is the first game with wraithstar version 2. For those of you
who haven’t seen the list, here it is:

To mix it up a little bit we got a 3rd party to set up the
terrain so it’s not up to us what happens. So it’s got quite clustered short
tables edges with a rather clear centre. Not up to me what happened so that’s
what we got to play on. Deployment type was vanguard strike. Rolling for table
side, he won and picked the one with the ruin and the barricades.

The mission we rolled for was crusade and we got 4 objectives. These
were placed in the forest on the bottom right corner (sabotaged), the bunker on
the left (nothing of note), barricades top left (targeting array) and in the
middle of the table in the open (skyfire nexus).

We rolled off and I set up first, placing my wraithguard on my left
with the war walkers behind them for a cover save. The other walkers set up on
the right with the ravager. I set up the guardians in the forest to get the
objective and a venom on each side of the table. I keep the warp spiders in
reserve.

He counters setting up his entire army on his left flank as far away from
me as possible. He puts his devastators in the ruins to have a good line of
sight. The tactical squad combat squads, and takes the objective in his
deployment. Dante and friends get placed in reserve. He declares he’s using
Dante’s ability to reduce The baron’s stats... he only has 1 wound now.

Night first: turn 1

Steal: No

The Battle

Eldar turn 1

Start of the turn I cast fortune on the wraithguard so hopefully I
shouldn’t lose any this turn with night fighting. I then guide the war walkers.
I move up the wraithguard up straight towards the marines followed by the
walkers. The venom on the left moves over the ruin to get a good shot on the
terminators. The ravager moves forward to get a shot off and the walkers on the
right get as close as possible.

Shooting starts with the ravager targeting the razorback, but only
takes off two hull points as well as shaking it. With a lucky pot shot the
guardians take off the last hull point of the razorback, gaining first blood.
The wraithguard run, and the venoms boost. The guided war walkers shoot at half
the tactical squad, getting 13 wounds, but only kill a single marine. Damn.

Blood angels turn 1

A speeder moves to target the venom on the left while the tactical
marines fall back towards the long table edge. The terminators and predator
fall back to the table edge as he’s scared of what the wraithguard can do.

The speeder shoots at the venom on the left but thanks to jink the
transport is fine. A torrent of fire goes towards the wraithgaurd from the
terminators, tactical marines, honour guard and the other speeder, but thanks
to night fighting a 2+ re-rollable cover save (conceal + stealth + shroud)
stops all damage. To rectify this however the devastators destroy two of the
war walkers regardless of the 5+ cover save.

Eldar turn 2

I cast fortune on the wraithguard again but because of the losses, the
war walkers are out of range so I have to cast guide on the wraithguard as
well. I roll for reserves and the warp spiders come in, I place them at the
back of his deployment zone aiming for the devastators. They lock on and alls
good. Again the wraithguard move forward towards the objectives while the
venoms move to get a better shot.

Ambushing the devastators the warp spiders shoot but only manage to
drag down a single marine. The ravager follows suit killing a dev, as goes the
venom on the right. The lone war walkers tries to avenge his brothers and kills
a single marine, and the devs run but only 2 inches... not far enough.

The war spiders try to jump again in the assault phase but only roll 6
inches, losing an aspect warrior with a double.

Blood angels turn 2

Dante and friends come in from reserve and are placed behind the
ravager as the devastators rally. Both tactical halves go after the warp
spiders while the rest of the army falls back again.

Shooting and the land speeder manages to wreck the venom this turn
while tactical marines kill all but the exarch of the spiders. The other
speeder blows off one cannon from the venom. In a heroic shot, the snap shot
from the dev rips off a scatter laser from the war walker. The honour guard
shoot at the warriors and kill all 5. The terminators and predator shoot at the
wraithguard but nothing happens. Dante shoots at the ravager glancing it taking
away a hull point.

Eldar turn 3

Again the farseer fortunes and guides the wraithguard. The ravager,
guardians and war walkers turn to face the new Dante and sanguinary guard
threat. The wraithguard move forwards again.

The guardians, war walkers and single war walker shoot at the
sanguinary guard and do no damage. I get a little more luck from the ravager
who kills two of the elite marines. The lone spider shakes a speeder while the
lone venom kills off the wounded tactical half.

Blood angels turn 3

Again the army moves away from the wraithguard while the speeders go
after a few shots on the war walkers. Dante splints from the sanguinary guard
as he goes after the ravager and they go after the guardians.

The speeders try to get a few shots off but nothing happens. The
tactical marines left shoot at the venom but fail to do anything thanks to the
flicker field. The devastator wrecks the last scatter laser war walker while
the predator wrecks the venom. The honour guard shoot the spider exarch and
kill him. Dante shoots at the ravager exploding it and the sanguinary guard
kill 2 guardians.

Assault phase and the sanguinary guard charge the guardians but lose 1
to over watch but they just murder the guardians... they do so many wounds...
it’s horrible... honestly if it was a film it would be banned it was that
bloody.

Eldar turn 4

Fortune/guide wraithguard. The wraithguard move towards the tactical
and take the objective behind the barricades. The remaining war walkers go
after Dante... it’s a long shot but if the dice go against him I might get slay
the warlord. The warriors move into the temple.

The plan fails, Dante lives. The warriors shoot at the tactical
marines and kill two of them.

Blood angels turn 4

Dante goes towards the war walkers as do the sanguinary guard. Both
speeders move to get targets.

The speeders shoot at the warriors but they go to ground and dodge the
speeders, devestators and tactical marine shots. The predator then kills two of
them. Dante shoots at the walkers but misses his shot. Combining shots, the
terminators and honour guard manage to drag down a single wraithguard.

Dante charges the war walkers and takes a wound from over watch
reducing him to 3. Dante takes no more wounds but manages to wreck a
walker.

Eldar turn 5

Fortune/guide once more. The wraithguard consolidate their hold on the
objective. They shoot at the tactical marines killing 2 of them.

Combat and nothing happens but Dante uses hit and run towards the
wraithguard.

Blood angels turn 5

With the majority of my army crushed, the blood angels surge forward
no longer afraid of the wraithguard.

Again the speeders and predator shoot at the dark eldar warriors who
go to ground but the last few die. The sanguinary guard shoot at the war
walkers stripping a single hull point.

Combat phase and the sanguinary guard charge the war walkers and rip
off the last hull point. Dante charges the wraithguard and he takes another
wound from over watch, he now has 2 left. I issue a challenge with the baron to
keep him from killing the wraithguard. Nothing happens and I decide to hit and
run away at the end of combat but I roll 12, just taking me too far away to
hold the objective... damn it was a risk that didn’t pay off.

We roll off to see if the game carries on...

Eldar turn 6

Fortune/Guide wraithguard again. They move back to control the
objective but the baron moves to attack Dante.

The wraithguard have to shoot the honour guard. I wanted them to shoot
the terminators but I could only get a few models in range. So I shoot the
honour guard and kill 4. The last one holds.

The baron then charges Dante but again nothing happens. Dante uses hit
and run to escape 14 inches towards the sanguinary guard.

Blood angles turn 6

Both speeders move towards the baron while the terminators and lone
honour guard go after the wraithguard.

It takes both speeders to get through the barons shadow field, and
thanks to Dante weakening him with this mask of ridicules ability, he dies. The
rest of the army does nothing.

Combat phase and the terminators charge the wraithguard, but I manage
to kill two of the marines before they can strike. I still lose 4 wraithguard
in the process.

We roll to see if we go onto turn 7... It ends.

Just before we add up the points we notice a single terminator could
be in range of disrupting the objective held by the wraithguard and he is just
about in.

Well that was an unfortunate game, and I think I can learn a lot from
it. My opponent made a few mistakes at the beginning of the game by moving away
from the wraithguard with his army and I didn’t take advantage of it. Anyway
what can I say specifically I can learn from?

·The wraithguard: They can’t hold their own in
combat against power fists, this was how I expected it would go but I now have
evidence... I sent them up the field unsupported and I can’t have that happen
again. Next game, keep both war walkers next to them and the venoms on the
flanks. It’s a tough unit, but if it gets charged, it’s in trouble.

·War walkers: Bad placement with the shuriken
unit, I don’t like the range of them anymore, I need scatter lasers or to out
flank them. It may have been the vanguard strike that made them a little
useless. The scatter unit got unlucky, but I think keeping them with the
wraithguard is a good call.

·Dark eldar: Bar the Baron, they didn’t do much, I
think I just mis used them. Keep them as a pair like the last few games might
work better. I need to drop the warriors off in cover to get objectives as I can’t
afford to lose the troop choices.

·Deployment: This was an issue, keep the walkers
together, and blast a flank with all the dark eldar units, that would have been
better. The warp spiders I feel may have been mis-used but I will have to experiment.

·Opponents mistakes: When I saw that he was
terrified of the wraithguard I should have sent everything behind them, I believe
he would have targeted the wraithguard still leaving the rest of my army
intact. But that's just guess work..

Well that game went badly, maybe next week I will learn and win
again... haha it was too good to think I might be on a roll.

2 comments:

Better luck next time. The guardians currently do not add a lot to the army apart from being standard. A scatter laser can be added easier. The war walkers do benefit from scatter lasers especially from the range extension - and of course from the additional shots. Cheap outflanking walkers are fine as well, you are right in this respect.The other choices you should try some more before dismissing them, especially the baron has a lot potential.

Unlucky is right. Seing your opponents list, I figured you had this in the bag.

Couple things:

I always Outflank the ShuriCannon Walkers because of the range issue. Getting them in the backfield is very nice and could have disrupted the Predator (rear armor) or the speeders.

The Warp Spiders. In the picture it looks like you could have had rear armor on the Predator. I would have gone for that and the Dakka it can put out is pretty devastating. Also, you for sure would have destroyed it opposed to having your opponent make 3+ armor saves.

Target priority. With Eldar and Dark Eldar it is monumentally key to pick on the units you can kill or cripple enough to where they won't cause anymore harm. i thought the Venoms should have both shot the Devastators first turn instead of the Termies. Sure the Termies have a cyclone, but that is only a 2 shot missile where the Devies had 3 and a Lascannon. Plus, 2 Venoms should kill the Devy squad.

Most people fear the Wraithguard and will do exactly what your opponent did, which is outrange them. Let them. You want people to shoot at them and waste shots going into a 2++ rerollable. Keeping the Baron with them is huge as it allows you to leave the combat with the Powerfists. I understand why he left, but that's why he is there, for Hit and Run.

The Guardians I think do fine for what you pay and have them for. 10 guys to camp a backfield objective and plink off the last HPs off of Rhinos or other armor. They can put out a good number of shots at 12'' but do just get decimated in CC.

I think running the SL War Walkers behind the Wraithguard is the way to go. Giving them the 5+ Cover will make them much more survivable and allow them to support the Wraithguard.

Overall, it was a good game, and I thought you just had some bad luck.